UK hallmarks: what the marks inside your ring mean

Updated 16 October 2026

Look inside a ring sold in the UK and you will usually find a row of tiny stamped marks. That is the hallmark, and it is one of the oldest forms of consumer protection in the country.

What a hallmark guarantees

A hallmark confirms that an independent assay office has tested the metal and that it meets the stated purity. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973 it is an offence to describe an item as gold, silver, platinum or palladium unless it is hallmarked, above small exemption weights: 1 gram for gold and palladium, 0.5 grams for platinum and 7.78 grams for silver.

Reading the marks

• Sponsor's mark. The initials of the business that submitted the piece, inside a shield. Ours identifies Audley.
• Fineness mark. The purity in parts per thousand: 750 for 18ct gold, 950 for platinum.
• Assay office mark. Where it was tested: a leopard's head for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a rose for Sheffield, a castle for Edinburgh.
• Date letter. Optional, showing the year of marking.

Every Audley piece is hallmarked at a UK assay office before it reaches you.